Flying-machine.



G. OBRYAN.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION H'LED AUG. 15, 1911.

1,038,638 Patented sept. 17,1912.

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G. OBRYAN.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.15, 1911.

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G. OBRYAN.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15. 1911.'

L. Patented Sept. 17,1912.

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GORY OBRYN, 0F' LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Speciication of Letters Patent. Patntedlseptgl'?, 1912.' Application med August 15, 1911. seriailno. 644,122.

To all wlwm t may concern:

Beit `known. that I, GORY OBRYAN, a citizen of the United States; residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful. Improvements in Flying-.Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flying machines of the heavier-than-air type.

One object of the invention is to provide ya machine which will be inherently selfbalancing to a large degree.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide la machinev embodying simple and effective means forv automatically maintaining the lateral balance.`

Ay still further object of the' invention is to provide a novel construction of rudders for horizontal Iand vertical steering, and means for operating the same for either purpose.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and mode of mounting a driving: propeller, a, novel construction of cushioned launching and landing wheels, and a novelA means for throwing they automatic balancing mechanism into vand out'of operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide novel brake mechanism for holding the machine from movement preparatory to its launching and machine to a quick stop in landing.

A still `further object of the invention is to provide a general construction andorganization of parts whereby a rigidstrong and durable machine is produced.

Withthese land other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combinationand arrangementof parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to. the accom-q panying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flying machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section.. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section.' Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal section on line 6-6 of Fig.. 2. Flg. 7 is a detail section on line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawin s, 1 designates a suitable framestructu're, including hollow uprights or standards 2, which frame strucfor bringing thef ture may be made of any suitable material plan. The wings of the. lower supporting surface 4 are preferably arranged at a dihedral angle and project at their lateral extremities beyond t-he lateral extremities of the plane 3, whereby a large amount of in- -A herent lateral stability is obtained. Extending upwardly from the lateral extremities of the plane 4 are short upright framel pieces 5, reinforced from the main frame by horizontal transverse braces 6. Ar'- ranged above the said lateral vextremities of the plane 4 are ailerons vor balanclng-planes `7 carried by shafts 8, mounted to permit said ailerons or balanclng planes to tilt vertlcally. These planes are adjusted by means of automatic balancing mechanism, herein lafter described and are limited in. their downward motion by the braces. 6. When the ailerons are in normal position, .they

form continuations of the upper supporting surface, thus increasing the lifting capacity of the machine.

Journaled upon the. upper central pory.

tion of the mainframe, immediat-ely below the supporting surface .is a hollow or` tubular shaft 9, projecting parallel with the line of Hight, and extending beyond ,the-mam -zirame at the front and rear thereof.. Supp0rted upon the front and rear projecting portions ofthis shaft are rudderslO and 11, pivoted to swing vertically upon axles 12' and normally held in Sahorizontal position,

parallel with the shaft- 9, by springs 13. The springs 13 are attached to sets of oppositely projecting crank arms 14 on said vaxles 12, and from the sets pf crankarms. respectively extend pairs of wires or cables -l 15, 16, 17 and 18, which extendfthrough the `hollow shaft and are attached at their inner ends to an operating or controlling lever19 above and below the pivotal point thereof, said lever being mounted on a transverse pin 2O passing througlr the shaft, wherebyv said lever is adapted to have independent fore and aft swinging vmovement and is coupled with the shaft'. to turn the sameV laterally in either direction. By the movement of the lever 19 in a fore and aft direction the rudders 10 and 11 may be tilted.

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vertically on their axes to steer the machine the two rudders may be tilted laterally in r and 'landing operat-ions.

unison at an angle to the line of fiight to steer the machine horizontally, as will be readily understood. Springs 21 connect the lever 19 with the upper supporting surface 3, and serve to hold the said lever in a normal pendent position against casual lat-eral movement.

The main frame is mounted upon a pair vof front launching and landing wheels 22 and a single central rear launching and landing wheel 23. Each wheel 22 is'journaled upon an axle'spindle24 carried by a bracket 25 provided with an upwardly eX- tending stem 26 inclosed within the adjacent partitions 26. Arranged within said hollow upright is a guide member 27, and surrounding the stem between said guide member and the bracket 25 is a coiled actuating spring 28. The spring 28 yieldingly backs the wheels 22, so as to absorb all shocks and jars during the launching The wheel 23 is mountedupon an arm or bar 29 pivoted at its forward end to the central rear portion of the plane 4, as at 30, and slotted for the passage of a bolt or headed stem 31 project-V ing upwardlyl yfrom a supporting member 32 secured to the plane in rear of the pivotal lpoint of the bar. Surrounding the upwardly projecting portion of the bolt or stem between the bar and head on said stem is a coiled cushioning spring 33, adapted to permit the arm 29 and wheels 23 to have vertical movement and to cushion all shocks or jars sustained thereby, An upright 34 is fixed at its lower end to the member 32 and -is provided at its upper end Y with a collar 35 engaging and embracing the rearwardly eX- j tending end of the shaft 9.

Pivotaily supported in a vertical position upon the main frame, as at 36, are brake bars 37, the lower portions of which are arranged to engage the wheels22, and the upper portions of which are coupled by wires or other flexible connections 38 running over guide pulleys 39 with an operating' lever 40, Vpivoted to swing in a fore and aft direction, as at 41, whereby .said brake bars may be .thrown into and out of engagement with the wheels 22 to bring the machine on landing to a quick stop, or to hold the machine stationary while s'uiiicient power is being developed by the propellers preparatory to launching the machine.` The brake bars are normally held retracted by .springs 41, and the lever is provided with a'spring actuated pawl 42 adapted to engage a rack 43, whereby it may be locked in adjusted position to hold the brake vbars either projected or retracted. By setting the brake bars, the aviator may hold the machine from move- ,free swinging movement.

ment after the starting of the motor until sufficient power is obtained for launching, thus obviating the necessity of attendants to hold the machine against movement in such operation.

Depending from and mounted to swing upon the shaft 9 as a center of rotation is a substantially triangular car 44, the lower portion of which forms a platform 45 to support the aviators seat 46 and the driving motor 47.

This car constitutes a gravity .controlled balancing element for adjusting the ailerons' or balancing planes 7, and is provided for that purpose with an upwardly extending arm 48 connected by rods or links 49 with gear sectors 50 meshing with pinions 51 on the shafts 8, whereby in the relative movements instituted between the machine and the car when the machine tilts laterally the ailerons or balancing planes will be automatically adjusted in opposite directions to restore the machine to a balanced position. The car normally maintains a perpendicular position through the force of gravity and the relative motions abovev referred to are established when the machine swings laterally upon the shaft 9 as a center of motion, as will be readily understood. The platform is provided with a de-` pending projection 52 engaging a slot 53 in a guide member 54, xed to the lower supporting surface, whereby the relative swinging motions between the car and machine structure are limited. Slidably mounted in guides 55 upon the bottom of the caris a wedge shaped locking element 56 connected by a link 57 with a foot lever 58, whereby vsaid locking member may. be drawn forwardly to wedge between the platform and guidev to hold the car against swinging movement, or forced rearwardly to a retracted position to permit the car to have It will thus be understood that the car may be locked against movement tothrow the balancing .mechanism out of operation in launching and landing the machine, and released for movement for the automatic operations of 'the balancing mechanism when the machine is in flight. The lever 58 may be provided 'with a spring actuated pawl or dog 59 t engage a rack 60, whereby 'it may be secured in Vlocking position.

A hollow shaft 61 ismounted to rotate upon the shaft-9 and carries a driving propeller 62, said shaft 61 being driven from the motor 47 by a chain or other driving connection 63. The propeller 62 preferably Icomprises a hub 63 having a series of angularly arranged arms 64 carrying transversely dis osed blades 65 at their outer ends, said b. ades being arranged at a properv working angle for a propulsive action. The arms 64 may also be formed to provide auxiliaryblades or propelling surfaces 66,

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increasing the eliiciency of the propeller. Supported by the car is a fuel tank 67 for the supply of gasolene or other fuel to the motor through a conductor 68.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the construction and mode of operation of my improved flying machine will be readily understood,

I claim as new 1s:

1. In a flying machine, a ghdmg structure,

a guide member thereon, balancing planes,

a swinging car having a projection engaging said guide member, operating connections betwecn the car and balancing planes, a wedge arranged in rear of and movable forwardly between the guide member and car to lock the latter against movement, a spring for retracting said wedge, and means for drawing the wedge forward to locking position.

2. In a [lying machine, a main frame, an upper supporting surface, a lower supporting surface having its wings dihedrally inclined and extending at their lateral extremities beyond the upper supporting surface, balancing planes at the ends of the upper supporting surface above the said lateral extremities of the lower supporting surface, gearing for swinging the balancing planes including toothed sectors, a laterally swinging car having a projection, and links connecting said projections with the toothed sectors, whereby the balancing planes are automatically` operated in the swinging movements of the car.

3. In a flying machine, a gliding structure, a longitudinally extending hollow shaft, balancing planes, a laterally swinging car supported by said shaft, connections between said car and the balancing planes, rudders pivoted to tilt vertically upon the shaft, an operating device for rocking shaft laterally and pivoted upon said shaft to swing longitudinally, and connections between said operating device and the rudders extending through the hollow shaft.

4. In a flying machine, a gliding structure, a guide member thereon, balancing planes, a swinging car having a projection engaging said guide member, operating connections between tlie car and balancing planes, a wedge movable between the guide member and car to lock the latter against movement, and means for operating said wedge.

5. In a flying machine, a. main frame carrying supporting surfaces, a shaft extending fore and aft, balancing planes, alaterally swinging car supported by said shaft, connections between said car and the balancing planes, rudders pivoted to tilt vertically upon the shaft, and means for tilting said rudders in unison and rocking the shaft laterally to adjust the rudders at an angle to the line of flight.

6. In a flying machine, a main frame carrying supporting surfaces, a longitudinally extending shaft mounted to roch laterally, a laterally swinging car supported by said shaft, balancing planes, operating connections between the car and balancing planes, rudders pivoted to tilt vertically at the ends of said shaft, means for tilting the rudders vertically and also rocking the shaft laterally to turn said rudders at an angle to the line of Hight, a second shaft journaled on the first-named shaft, a propeller carried by said second shaft, a motor supported by the car, and gearing between said motor and the propeller shaft.

, 7. Inatlying machine,a gliding structure, a longitudinally extending shaft mounted thereon, a car pivotally supported by said shaft, balancing planes, operating connections between the car and balancing planes, a rudder pivotally mounted on the shaft, an operat-ing device movable laterally to rock the shaft and longitudinally to adjust the rudder, a second shaft journaled on the first-named shaft, a propeller carried by said second shaft, a` motor supported by the car, and gearing between said motor and the propeller shaft.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GORY OBRYAN. Witnesses a GEO. O. ARTHUR Monrus, WILLIAM F RANltnivniuinn.I 

